Funding to demolish shopping centre confirmed
BBCMore than £3m in funding to help redevelop a former shopping centre in Nottingham has been confirmed.
The money, provided by the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), will be used to demolish the Broad Marsh centre's concrete frame and prepare the area for a "mixed use development".
Regional mayor Claire Ward said it will help unlock further investment in the site.
"It's been an absolute eyesore for the city and there's been a lack of development over many many years," she said. "This is the year when we're going to see progress."
Nottingham City Council took over the shopping centre in 2020 after previous operators Intu went into administration.
The council was denied funding to help with redevelopment by the previous government on a number of occasions.
A new green space on part of the site opened last year, and the £3.39m of new funding was approved at a meeting of EMCCA's board on Monday.
Documents presented to the meeting state the total cost of the project is expected to be £29.3m.
Ward said the initial funding will enable further investment from both the public and private sector.
Demolition work is scheduled to begin in July and is expected to take a year to complete.
Once the shopping centre is demolished, up to 1,000 new homes will be built alongside 20,000 square metres of employment space.
Nottingham City Council leader Neghat Khan previously said she hopes the site will be fully redeveloped by 2027.
Further details on the scheme are expected to be confirmed by the city council in the coming weeks.
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